Smart, networked devices like the Nest Learning Thermostat are increasingly the norm for everything from household appliances to handheld electronics. These gadgets know you better than you know yourself, studying your habits and patterns to find the most optimal ways to use energy. By 2020, most consumers buy Nest-style devices as part of bundled “home energy management” offerings. Governments work to balance the inequality between citizens who can afford to generate or negate their energy use via solar and smart devices and those who cannot.

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Nest is designed to learn based on users’ schedules, and optimize energy use and savings. The thermostat can be programmed remotely by mobile phone and can reduce heating and cooling bills by up to 20 percent.